STUDENT BLOG: Basketball Team Undefeated

Student Blog by Daniel Mengstab

Wednesday afternoons means sport for the performance teams at The Sixth Form College, Solihull and the basketball team were in action again this week.

Having beaten BCU, Solihull were full of confidence going into a league game against Warwickshire College. Following a week off from games, Solihull had the opportunity to work on their fitness, strength and conditioning. Despite having  many set plays at their disposal the team started the game very slowly, only scoring 9 points in the first 5 minutes of play.

Having made some changes to the team and bringing on experienced Matthew and Nash, the tempo increased and Solihull racked up 3 quick baskets through Nash. However, Warwickshire were very resilient and pulled some points back. Going into the half Solihull had a lead of 2 points.

Disappointed with the score line, the Solihull coach decided to play a more pressing and aggressive style of play, which saw off BCU 2 weeks ago. The pressing on defence meant Solihull was pressuring the Warwickshire team into turnovers and easy baskets. However, Warwickshire did not give up and they came back to within 4 points by end of third quarter.

Having 12 players in their arsenal, Solihull kept rotating players to keep the intensity high and eventually Warwickshire had no reply to the sheer athleticism and speed of Rakim and Nash in the final quarter. As a result Solihull won the game 49-41 and is so far undefeated in the league and sits firmly in first place having won 3 out of 3 league games.

STUDENT BLOG: Religious Studies Trip Review

Student Blog by Toby Lowther

Religious Studies students went on a trip to the BCC (Birmingham Christian Centre) to attend a philosophical conference - one of a series entitled “Being and Nothingness”, produced by a company called “Candle Conferences”. The event was hosted by Dr Peter Vardy, with the guest speaker Dr Stephen Law.

The day consisted of a series of invigorating lectures. These included Dr Peter Vardy (pictured below) speaking on the cosmological and teleological arguments for the existence of God, and on the nature of the omnipotence of the God of Classical Theism. These also included a lecture by Dr Stephen Law on atheism, covering the different kinds of atheism, atheistic arguments against the existence of God (focussing on the Evil God Challenge), atheistic morality, and the atheistic view on the question of the meaning of life.

The entire day was concluded with an open debate and discussion section, wherein aspiring philosophers in the audience were given the chance to propose their own arguments relevant to the question of the existence of God and finishing with a vote in favour or against the existence of God, based upon the arguments given. Finally, Dr Vardy gave a short talk on why the question of whether or not God exists is important, and how this answer reflects on morality and ethics.

The day was very refreshing and intriguing, raising interesting questions on the fundamental question of the existence of God. It was very well organised, and was given in such a way as to complement and support the topics we had already covered in the classroom, whilst simultaneously extending beyond Advanced Level and tackling propositions and arguments raised at higher levels of philosophy. The event was exciting, educational and all-round excellent – a brilliant opportunity for students of Religious Studies to expand upon their learning and discover more about philosophy.

STUDENT BLOG: Basketball Team Win in the Cup

Student Blog by Daniel Mengstab

On a wet and cold Wednesday afternoon the Sixth Form College, Solihull basketball team was up against University College Birmingham (UCB) in the AOC Sport Cup.

The Solihull team, undefeated so far in the league, were brimming with confidence. The game got off to a slow start, however  the 12 points contribution of Annas Adan give the Solihull team a 23 - 12 lead going into the second quarter. UCB, who were only playing with 5 players, were unable to match the speed of the Solihull players, and with vicious defence the team was able to extent their lead to 49 - 22. Annas was again at the full front of the attack and defence.

Having built an unassailable lead, Solihull decided to switch tactics and put new concepts to play. Playing man-to-man defence and Flex on offence, they broke down the UCB defence to extend their lead by 40 points at the end of the third quarter.  Again in the fourth quarter, Solihull continued to experiment with different set plays. The set plays were very successful, with Rakiem Willis leading the charge and contributing 12 points in the last quarter.

Praise has to be given to Matthew Gaskell, who masterminded the set plays, held the team together and unselfishly assisted his team mates.  The UCB team, weak in number, were very resilient and never gave up to the last second. Solihull won the game comfortably 90 - 38 and as a result they advance in the AOC Sport Cup.

STUDENT BLOG: Caroline Spelman MP visits

Blog from Alice Bettis March, Year 12 student at The Sixth Form College, Solihull and former student of Swanshurst School:

Caroline Spelman, previous Conservative Party Chairman visited The Sixth Form College, Solihull on 6th February to discuss her time as Secretary of State for the Department of Environment and on being, “the 6th woman in the history of British Politics to sit in the Cabinet”.

After delivering a brief overview on her time in Parliament; what it was like being a new Conservative MP in 1997 and working in a “cohesive coalition”, the MP for Meriden began to take questions from the floor. One such question was from Year 12 Politics student Ewan, who asked: “What made the Conservatives stand out as a party to you, over Labour or the Liberal Democrats, for example?” In response, Spelman stated that when deciding on a party for you, “You’ve got to think, where do I broadly align,” before continuing onto describe how poignant moments from her youth, such as the ‘three day week’ distanced her from the Labour Party particularly.

The majority of the questions asked focused specifically on legislation Spelman had worked on during her time in Parliament, such as the ‘Modern Slavery Act’. Her responses to these questions engaged the students into the importance of creating and amending legislature, as well as an insight into the lifestyle of a member of Cabinet.

Last chance to visit the College

Have you applied for your college place yet? It's getting close to the time that colleges and sixth forms stop accepting applications. Our deadline is 31 March 2015.

Ideally, we would like all students to visit the College before they make an application. By doing that, reading our prospectus and researching course content on our website, students can make applications armed with all the facts and ensure they make the right choices for them. Open days are a vital way for prospective students and parents to find out if a place is right for them. We had an Open Day in October and an Open Evening in November. We're sorry if you missed them, but there is just one more chance to visit us...

Information Evening
Thursday 5 March 2015
4.00pm - 6.30pm

Information Evening event is similar to an open evening, but on a smaller scale. We will not be opening up the whole campus for this event, but will instead be set up in our Sports Hall, with staff from all curriculum areas available to answer questions from prospective students/parents.

Principal Paul Ashdown will also be giving talks in our Dance Studio at 4.30pm and 5.30pm. He will have lots of useful information about what we can offer to students, but probably most helpful of all, he will explain the changes happening to A levels over the next three years. You can start your research on this by reading what is on our website.

Pre-registration for this event is now open. Pre-registering helps us to prepare for student/parent needs, but booking an appointment (as it says in the prospectus) is no longer necessary, and visitors are welcome to attend without having pre-registered. Pre-registration will remain open until 12.00 noon on Thursday 5 March.

If you have questions ahead of this event, ask us when you pre-register or get in touch via Facebook, Twitter, email or call us on 0121 704 2581.

Team Gambia 2014

The Sixth Form College, Solihull participates in a Team Gambia project. The 2014 project has just concluded and staff and students are celebrating a highly successful venture and cherishing many wonderful memories.

First and most importantly is the great work this project has achieved. This is a project set up and run by Pete Evans at Hamstead Hall School. He built the Jemus Jungkung Jammeh Memorial Nursery School in Abuko and is responsible for paying the teachers and developing the school. We are just grateful to be able to be a part of it and to do anything we can to support the amazing work he has already done.

This Team Gambia 2014 project (which follows our first involvement in 2013) was 9 months in the making and students had to work hard before the trip to raise money for the school. The final fundraising total exceeds £8,500, which is a tremendous total and really good use will be put to that money. The school needs help paying teachers wages and buying resources and work is already under way to build new classrooms, which is much needed. There are still lots of kids not going to school at all in The Gambia because there is not room for them, so building these additional classrooms will ensure these kids get an education.

The trip itself has really enhanced the lives of the students who went. All have spoken of having their eyes opened by the sights they saw. It has made them all realise how lucky they are to have what they have. They have all built up their confidence, team working skills and gained valuable teaching experience too.

The students also got to experience a different culture. As well as working at the school, there was time for the students to experience more of the local culture, as a demonstration of traditional Gambian dancing was put on. They also went to a local crocodile park, a monkey sanctuary, the Albert Market in Banjul and the Parliament building. They visited a medical centre and another school, as well as enjoying some rest and relaxation at the hotel and on the beach.

All in all, the trip was a great success and the project as a whole continues to go from strength to strength. We look forward to doing this all over again next year!

To see some photos from this amazing trip, visit our Flickr page or view the Album on Facebook.

Roughing it for St Basil's

When staff and students get behind a good cause, there is a lot that can be achieved and that is exactly what happened this November, as the College staged a Big Sleep Out in aid of homeless charity St Basil's.

This challenge was many months in the planning and when staff were first approached about it back in July it seemed like a good idea. As the date drew closer and the weather turned, many staff were beginning to wonder what they had let themselves in for. By then, however, sponsorship had been sought and there was no backing out!

As with any challenge for charity, it is not supposed to be easy! If it were easy, why would anybody bother to sponsor you? This challenge - to sleep out in the cold with just cardboard and plastic to protect us - was not only difficult, but it also brought home to everyone who took part the difficulties that homeless people face everyday.

St Basils are the beneficiaries of this activity. They work with young people aged 16-25, who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. They help over 5,000 young people every year across Birmingham, Sandwell, Solihull, Worcestershire and Coventry. Their services include accommodation schemes, homelessness prevention and support services to help young people regain the stability they need to rebuild their lives. This includes developing the skills they need to stand on their own two feet, get training and find employment.

27 staff and 45 students took part and we can all now appreciate what real homeless people go through. The only thing we tried to do was keep warm and keep dry and in that sense we got a taste of what being homeless is really like. Building a shelter is not as easy at it looks. It has to stand up to wind and rain and not all the shelters did that - here is a case in point!

Sponsorship is still being collected, but the fundraising from the staff alone exceeds £2,000 and that gives every member of staff who took part a great sense of achievement. We know that this will help St Basil's to do more of their wonderfully worthwhile work for young people in the West Midlands.

All staff and students who took part deserve a big "well done" for their achievement.

Why are Open Days worth attending?

It's Open Day season for schools and colleges up and down the country. Some are on Saturdays, some on weekdays; some during the day and some in the evenings and there are so many of them! You're probably thinking you have better things to do with your time, but this blog is urging you to get to as many open days as possible!

The Sixth Form College, Solihull is holding two events this term and they are as follows:

Open Day - Saturday 11 October 2014 (9.30am - 3.30pm, last entry at 2.30pm)

Open Evening - Thursday 13 November 2014 (5.00 - 8.00pm, last entry at 7.30pm)

Although on two different days, these events are essentially the same. Both give you the chance to hear from the Principal Paul Ashdown. At the October event, he is giving talks at 10.00am, 10.45am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.15pm and 2.00pm. At the November event those talks are at 5.30pm, 6.15pm and 7.00pm. He will talk about what you can expect from the College and explain the nationwide changes happening to A levels.

Open Days also give you the opportunity to talk to curriculum specific teachers and students studying courses that you are interested in. The teachers can give you expert advice, because they are specialists in what they teach; not only in terms of the content of the course, but also this level of education because they do not teach other year groups. Meanwhile, the current students can tell you what studying these A level and BTEC courses is really like.

Attending open days is all about setting your expectations. You will doubtless visit with an idea of what a school or college is like already, but visiting gives you the chance to put those expectations to the test. Not only can you see the facilities and meet the staff, but you will get a feel for the campus as a whole and whether students currently studying there are happy or not. It will help you to decide if it's a place you will fit in.

Expectation are not only important about the College as a whole, but also about the courses on offer. You may have a clear idea of what you want to do for a career or what course you want to study at university. You may have no idea at all, but just think that certain subjects sound interesting. Whatever your situation in, it's important that you know what you are getting yourself into. This means doing your homework and finding out a bit about what the courses involve.

When you come to one of our open days, we will give you a prospectus and a few other marketing leaflets. You can read up about our courses on the website at www.solihullsfc.ac.uk/courses, but you can also pick up subject leaflets at open day too. This details what is taught on the course, how it is assessed and what entry requirements we ask for. This is important, because you need to make sure that the course is what you expect it to be and you need to know what grades you need to get to achieve a place at sixth form.

Of course, college life is more than just the courses you study. Our support services will also be showcased at open days. This means you can talk to staff about the careers support we offer. You can also find out more about the additional learning support we offer, which helps students with dyslexia, dyspraxia, Aspergers and many other additional support needs. You can also talk to staff about our academic coaching programme, which is the support we offer to every student at the college (a bit like a tutor). With information available about enrichment too, you can find out whjat a varied and rounded experience college life can be.

Moving on from school to College is about growing up. Come to our Open Day or Open Evening and find out how we treat our students like adults and encourage them to embrace our learning culture. We try to help students to develop into independent thinkers, who can leave college for university, training or employment not only with the knowledge their courses have given them, but also the skills and confidence to think for themselves and flourish in the big wide world.

In the end, your choice of school or college after Year 11 is up to you! All we ask is that you make sure you understand all the options open to you and one of the very best ways to do that is to go to as many open days as you can. In the long run it will be worth your while.

Pre-registration is open for the October Open Day from now until Friday 10 October at https://apps.bigtopapp.com/solihullsixthform. Pre-registration for the November Open Evening will open from Thursday 16 October. Go to http://www.solihullsfc.ac.uk/open-days then for more information.

A levels are changing

There are big changes taking place nationally in education, designed to raise standards.  This means that the A Level and BTEC Extended Diploma courses we offer are undergoing reforms.  Not all the changes are coming in all at once, but they will be phased in over the coming three years.  This page provides an overview of the changes, but we have included more information on our website, which we would urge you to take the time to read.

The Department for Education is introducing new-style A Levels in three stages:  in 2015, 2016 and 2017.  The first phase of changes will affect students applying to start their post-16 education in September 2015.  All our courses are listed to the right and the schedule of changes is detailed below.

What are these changes?
A Levels are becoming linear two-year courses.  This means you need to study for the full two years to obtain the qualification.  We will ask A Level students to choose three subjects to study, although very able students may do four subjects. Hand-in-hand with this, we will be dedicating more teaching time to our A Levels in the first year, thus giving students more time with teachers to boost their learning experience.  As most universities and employers make offers based on a three A Level programme, we believe that the extra teaching time will help students achieve the best possible grades.

There will also be changes to the content of specific A Level courses, the amount of coursework, and to A Level examinations, not to mention more rigorous assessment for BTEC courses.  These changes are explained in more detail on our website.  “Old style” courses are still assessed using AS and A2 examinations and you can opt for a mix of old and new subjects.

What is changing?
• A levels are becoming linear 2-year courses – this means you need to study for the full two years to get the qualification.
• Coursework is being removed in all but exceptional cases and those courses that retain a coursework element will see it reduced from 40% to 20% of the final mark. In Sciences, assessment of practical work will not contribute to the final A level grade, but will receive a separate certificate of endorsement.
• A levels will include more synoptic assessment and more variety of questions will be asked.
• Examinations will be sat at the end of the two year course, not spread out over both years. Because of this, we cannot guarantee that re-takes will be available, as students will have to re-sit as external students, but we will try to support students who wish to re-take exams as much as we can. Please note that exam boards charge re-sit fees for each exam.
• There will also be changes to the content of specific A level courses and these are explained on our website on the specific course pages.

When are courses changing?
These changes will be phased in over three years, as follows:

Phase 1 – Students starting their studies in September 2015 should note that new-style A levels will be introduced for the following subjects:
English
History
Sciences
Art & Design
Business
Computer Science
Economics
Psychology
Sociology

Phase 2 – In September 2016, the following subjects will follow suit:
Mathematics
Further Maths
Modern Foreign Languages
Ancient Languages
Geography
Design & Technology
Physical Education
Dance
Drama
Music
Religious Studies

Phase 3 – In September 2017, the final round of changes will affect the following courses:
Classical Civilisation
Film Studies
Politics
Health & Social Care
 ICT
Law
Media Studies
Music Technology
Statistics

Don’t worry! Only the changes in September 2015 will affect you if you are starting your studies in that year. In other words, if you pick a course that is changing in 2016 (such as Mathematics), you will not find you are studying the old format in the first year and then suddenly change to the new format in your second year. The changes in 2016 and 2017 will only affect those students starting their A level studies in those years.

Why are these changes happening?
The Department for Education is aiming to raise standards by changing A level and BTEC qualifications. Changes are also happening to GCSEs from 2017, with this same aim in mind.  These new qualifications should better enable our young people to attain skills, knowledge and understanding comparable to the standards reached by the best of the rest of the world.

40th Anniversary Party

The College is 40 years old this year. Happy Birthday to us!

We marked the occasion by having a 40th Anniversary Celebration in the College grounds this week - a sort of garden party! Strawberries and cream, canapés and cupcakes were the order of the day as current staff mingled with many ex members of staff to celebrate 4 decades of offering outstanding teaching and learning in Solihull.

It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces, with lots of retired staff returning to wish the College well and catch up with old friends. Current Principal Paul Ashdown welcomed the Mayor of Solihull, Councillor Kate Wild, as well as ex-Principals David Jackson, John Korzeniewski and Colleen Chater. The four Principals were on hand to do a ceremonial cutting of the ribbon to officially unveil the new look to Hampton building, as this building has had significant refurbishments this year.

Existing students were on hand to offer tours of the campus, which were particularly interesting for former staff who left ten or more years previously. In the last decade, the College has added an Art & Design School and a Dance Studio, as well as refurbishing the Refectory, Science labs, Music and Drama studios, lecture theatres and all classrooms in the College main (and largest) building. The exterior of the main building has also had a ‘face-lift’ in the last year too.

We are so grateful to everybody who came along to help us celebrate the College's birthday. The sun was shining (thank goodness!) and a good time was had by all.

To see more photos from this event, visit the College's Facebook page.

College Face Lift!

The Sixth Form College, Solihull has had a facelift! Both inside and outside the main building of the College (Hampton building) has been totally refurbished and we wanted to share the changes.

Thanks to the efforts of the contractors Stepnell, not to mention the hard work of our own Estates team, a long and very complicated job has been completed. What made this job so complex was that the work had to be completed during term time. We received a grant of more than £1million to renovate the first and second floor classrooms and re-clad the exterior of the building.

The project was completed in three phases, to minimise disruption to teaching and learning as much as possible. This meant that only sections of the building would be shut down, enabling lessons to continue in other parts of the building. Social Sciences, Humanities and Earth Studies were relocated first, moving to other parts of the campus for several months. When that section of the building was done, they were able to move back in and phase two started. This saw many Business, Maths and Social Science lessons relocate temporarily. Phase three refurbished the Modern Foreign Language, Maths and Business rooms, as well as two lectures theatres.

The refurbishment has seen some walls being knocked down to turn some small rooms into larger classrooms. New floors, ceilings, windows and doors, not to mention a new coat of paint and new furniture has added up to bright and modern new teaching facilities.

The external cladding is what is most noticeable about the building work, incorporating the College's green and purple corporate colours, as well as some of the College's secondary palette of colours too. It is bright, vibrant and eye-catching and makes the College look modern and welcoming. The new windows that have been fitted also ensure the College is more energy efficient as well.

The College celebrates it's 40th birthday this year and the refurbishments are particularly stark changes when compared to the original look of the College back in 1974. Back then, there was just one building, whereas now the College boasts eight buildings and state-of-the-art facilities.

Exam Season Comes Early For Drama Students

Most people think that exam season is the summer months. For our A level Drama & theatre Studies students their final assessed practicals have been in the last week!

The students, all in their final year of the course, have split into three groups to devise and act a short drama piece of approximately 30 minutes duration. The students selected a range of themes to base their productions on.

One group entitled their production 'The Chapter of Dido' and it concerned the founder and first Queen of Carthage, based on an extract from 'Aeneid' by the Roman poet Virgil. Here's a photo below from the dress rehearsal of this production.

Another group selected the 2002 film 'The Magdalene Sisters', written and directed by Peter Mullan, about four teenage girls sent to a home for 'fallen' women maintained by individual religious orders in the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland. Again, the photo below shows the great costumes and set from this production.

The final production was based on Margaret Atwood's novel 'The Handmaid’s Tale', which explores life in a Dystopian society where children are harvested from lower class fertile women, who are enslaved to supply the ruling classes. As you can see, good use of costume, set and lighting helped bring this to life!

Curriculum Leader for Drama is Diane Dodd and she told us how pleased she has been with the students work. "The students have worked for over a term on the practical devised exam, they have worked tirelessly to bring their material to the stage and have produced some highly effective and moving plays," she explained. "They have researched a wide range of contemporary practitioners who are themselves renowned creative adaptors and have explored a wide range of acting and staging methods. The process is both physically and intellectually stretching and the students are now well-prepared for the next step at university."

Many of the students on the A level Drama & Theatre Studies course are also involved with the annual college production, which takes place in July. Entitled ‘Selkie’, the production is set in Cornwall and interweaves the past with the present, the ordinary with the supernatural, locals and seasonal migrants on one fine day in June. Selkie blends folk lore and contemporary lives and utilises live music, storytelling and dance to amuse and transport you. It will be performed at 7.00pm on Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th July in the College’s theatre. Tickets will be available after Easter, priced £6 for adults and £3 for concessions, by calling 0121 704 2581.

TEAM GAMBIA 2014

In December 2013, a group of students joined forces with students from Hamstead Hall School in Handsworth Wood to go on a week-long volunteering trip to The Gambia. This was all part of a long-standing project being run by Peter Evans at Hamstead Hall School, who built the school from scratch!

As you can see from the photos above, this is an incredibly valuable volunteering trip. The students got to work with the kids at the Jemus Jungkung Jammeh Memorial Nursery School in Abuko and also experience a totally different culture in this developing country.

With a year's experience under our belt, we are doing the trip again in 2014, but this time we're on our own! 24 students have signed up to embark on this exciting expedition, which takes place in December 2014. We have already started with our plans.

Students are being set a challenge to raise £400 each for this school. With it costing just £375 to pay a teacher there for one year, this fundraising target will do real good for the school in The Gambia. There is currently a large waiting list of children who want to attend the school, but they do not have room for them, despite class sizes of 50-60 children in a class. The money we raise will help fund the construction of two new classrooms to fill that demand. Staff and students will work together over the 10 months leading up to the trip itself to raise as much money as we can for the school.

We will add more information about this exciting trip and our fundraising plans as they are confirmed!

STUDENT BLOG - Law Masterclass

A level Law student Ammar Saeed went to the University of Birmingham with his classmates recently for a masterclass and wrote about his experiences.

The law masterclass at the University of Birmingham was a truly great experience; it gave a real insight into what studying law at a top University like Birmingham was really like, and it answered a lot of questions and doubts I had regarding the course.

Topics covered during the masterclass included the death penalty, case reading and identifying crime, training to be a solicitor/barrister, ‘men’s rea’ and ‘actus reus’ in criminal law. LNATS/LLB/LLB 2nd /3rd year courses and the requirements and topics covered were also explained.

As this masterclass was given by successful law students at the university itself, you were really given a feel for what it’s like from the student’s perspective.

A challenging and competitive course it may be, but I concluded that you get much more out of studying law than you put in, and after all a career in law or even a degree is highly respected by anyone. Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.

Ofsted & Open Evening

Posting by Bev Bishop, Marketing Co-ordinator

It’s been a very busy Autumn term at The Sixth Form College, Solihull and there’s still 4 weeks left until the Christmas holidays. As well as October’s Open Day, we have been inspected by Ofsted and held a November Open Evening too.

Let me start by focusing on the Ofsted inspection. No school or college looks forward to an inspection; the pressure is on when teachers are under the spotlight. However, this inspection proved to be a very positive experience for the College. Staff and students alike pulled together to show why we are so proud of what we offer young people at this College and Ofsted agreed. Here are just a few of the lovely things that Ofsted inspectors said about the College:

“The drive to secure improvement has developed a harmonious learning culture and there is a strong emphasis on high expectations and aspirations.”

“Students’ attendance and behaviour is very good.”

“A high proportion of students on advanced programmes achieve A*-B grades.”

“Teaching learning and assessment are good with some outstanding features.”

“The proportion of students successfully completing their studies in 2012/13 was above the recent average for sixth form colleges.”

“Teachers and managers create a culture of high expectations and commitment to study right from the start of each year.”

“A very high proportion of students progress on to high education, further training or employment each year.”

“Teachers are enthusiastic, well qualified and expert in their subjects.”

“Teachers recognise the importance of giving praise wherever possible and they motivate students to learn.”

“An increasing proportion of lessons are judged to be good or better.”

“Teachers and academic coaches provide effective academic and pastoral support.”

“Students enjoy their studies.”

“Students feel safe in the College.”

“Students speak enthusiastically about their progress and work conscientiously on their own in private study or in groups in lessons.”

“The diversity of the student population is celebrated.”

We have been celebrating our Ofsted report with a brand new postcard, which has recently been posted out to many in the local community. The artwork on the postcard works with our augmented reality mobile phone app and allows users to link to a Celebration video, the Full Ofsted Report and to our Online Application Form.

We also highlighted the many lovely things that Ofsted had to say about the College at Open Evening last week. This event was even busier than our October Open Day and means that this term we have had more prospective students and their families visit us than ever before. Huge thanks must go to all the staff and current students who worked so diligently at both events to highlight to visitors what this College can offer to young people.

Applications are coming in thick and fast now and we have already had one Interview Day, when we got through hundreds of interviews and made more than 420 offers! Our next interview event takes place in January and we already have more than 350 more applications that have come in just the last week, so there are lots of interviews to schedule and references to request from schools.

Prospective students have until 31 March 2014 to apply. Read about our Application process on our website.

New Classrooms

Posting by Bev Bishop, Marketing Co-ordinator

What makes a good college?

Good teachers? Definitely! Good pastoral support? For sure! What about the environment that students learn in? We think that's important too, which is why we have been refurbishing some of the classrooms at college.

The Sixth Form College, Solihull opened in 1974 and the building that we now call Hampton building was part of the College then. Refurbishments and developments have happened over the years, but not for a while, which is why we are doing this work now. Hampton is a large building, so the work is being done in stages to reduce the disruption to teaching.

Phase 1 has just come to an end and one end of the building has been refurbished. This means that the classrooms have new windows, new ceilings, new lighting, new carpets, new furniture and it's been repainted too. In putting in new windows, the building also has new insulation, which will improve energy efficiency and make the rooms warmer in the summer and cooler in the summer.

Below are some photos of the new classrooms. They are minus display boards, of course, but once the teachers and students get in there, they will start to look more "lived in".
We're pleased with how the work has gone so far. The environment we provide for our students is important and conducive to positive learning.

We are into phase 2 of the project now and another section of the building will be refurbished soon (hopefully by January), with the final section getting its turn in the Spring. All this means that for those students applying to start their studies with us in September 2014, they will be able to benefit from new and comfortable facilities.

Look out for more news about the building work as it progresses during this academic year.

Open Day 2013

Posting by Bev Bishop, Marketing Co-ordinator

The College opened its doors to prospective students and parents on Saturday as we staged our annual Open Day and it was great to see so many people there.

We had students from more than 90 different schools visit us on Saturday! Hard to believe there are that many schools in the region! They were all present to see what we can offer to young people in the way of post-16 education.

We had teachers available in all curriculum areas and they all reported a busy day, answering questions from our visitors. Thank goodness for our current students, who helped out on the day. Not only were they dotted around the campus to help people find their way around, but they were also in subject areas to help teachers answer questions when there were more visitors than teachers available to speak to them! We are so grateful to our wonderful students. They tell us how much they enjoy their studies at the College and it’s that enthusiasm which encourages the next cohort of students to apply to the College.

We’re also very grateful to Centro and to the four universities who attended Open Day. Representatives from Aston, Birmingham, Leicester and Warwick were all there and they were kept busy all day talking to parents and students. In particular, they were able to advise young people what subjects they need to study at A level with a particular career or university course in mind, which makes it easier for them to know what courses they should apply for at college too.

Thankfully, the rain held off for most of the day and it was quite warm for October. Nevertheless, special thanks must go to the hardy students and staff who worked outside on Open Day. One of the biggest challenges we face on a day such as this is to avoid traffic and parking problems, but thanks to the dedication and hard work of our staff and students traffic kept flowing and parking was managed well.

We know that not everyone who is considering applying to the College was able to make it to Open Day on Saturday and that’s why we have more events coming up:

Open Evening
Thursday 14 November
5.00-8.00pm (last entry at 7.30pm)

Information Evening
Thursday 14 November
5.00-8.00pm (last entry at 7.30pm)

Open Evening in November is much like this recent Open Day, in that the whole campus is open. However, the Information Evening in February is a smaller scale event.

Pre-registration for the November event is open now at http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/87538UWJDV.

EXPAND YOUR PROSPECTUS

Posting by Bev Bishop, Marketing Co-ordinator

This year, the prospectus for The Sixth Form College, Solihull includes the tagline 'Expand Your Potential'. One of the ways we are asking prospective students to do this is to expand their prospectus by use of something called Augmented Reality.

So, what's augmented reality? It's an app that can be downloaded onto compatible smart phones or tablets and used to bring printed materials to life. We are using an app called Aurasma, which is available free of charge on Apple and Android smart phones and tablets. When downloaded, the app will allow the user to scan trigger icons throughout the prospectus to access videos, podcasts, photos, additional text and web links. We are using it to link to student testimony, parental testimony, information from the Principal and much more.

Why are we using augmented reality? We want to utilise new media as much as possible to deliver information in new and exciting ways. There is still a place for a printed prospectus, but there is so more information about the College available online and by using this app, we can link directly to this information, making it easier than ever to find out all that a prospective student needs to know before they make an application. It means that students can read up on all our courses, pre-register for Open Day and make an application, all from their smart phone.

Any prospective student or parent who wants to try out this app needs to get a copy of our prospectus. They will be handed out to all visitors at our Open Day on Saturday 19 October (open 9.30 am - 3.30pm, last entry at 2.30pm). They will also be available at Open Evening on Thursday 14 November (open 5.00pm - 8.00pm, last entry at 7.30pm). They are also available by post by telephoning 0121 709 7803.

Instructions of how to download the app are on page 2 of the prospectus. Users must download the app, follow the College's Aurasma channel and then it is ready to use.

For a demonstration of how the app works, check out our new YouTube video at http://youtu.be/_uqvjGovqz0.

To pre-register for Open Day to visit the College, talk to teachers, see our facilities and pick up a copy of the prospectus go to http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/87538UWJDV.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS FULFILLED!

Posting by Bev Bishop, Marketing Co-ordinator

BTEC Performing Arts students at The Sixth Form College, Solihull put on their final production at the College this week, when they staged ‘Great Expectations’. I was one of the lucky members of the audience and what I treat I had!

Most of us know the plot to this Charles Dickens’ classic. If you don’t, here it is: It’s a coming-of-age story, about an orphan named Pip, set in the 1800s. It is a graphic story, depicting poverty, prison ships and fights to the death. The plot starts with the terrifying encounter between Pip and the escaped convict, Abel Magwitch. What follows are intriguing and unexpected twists and turns, with Pip encountering a wealthy spinster called Miss Havisham and a blacksmith called Joe Gargery, not to mention the cold and beautiful Estella.

Although set such a long time ago, the students used some rather modern techniques to get the message of this production across. The dialogue was all appropriate to the time, as was costume and set, but the students also incorporated lots of physical theatre in the production. There was some song and dance, where appropriate, and while these modern twists can sometimes ruin a classic text, these did not. Case in point was the scene in which Pip fell out of a boat; through physical theatre, the students managed to show Pip’s struggle underwater to very good effect.

That’s just one example of why this production was so good. All the performances were excellent, with some outstanding acting skills on display. There were some laughs in there, with funny one-liners, which were very well delivered. In addition, the key roles of Pip and Miss Havisham were played with enormous emotion and as an audience member I empathised with both, which is what you need in all good story telling.

I personally enjoyed the production enormously and everyone else I have spoken to has praised if too, commenting how professional and slick it was in particular. However, perhaps most impressive of all is the fact that the students took on so much to make this production a success. They don’t just learn their lines and act, they take responsibility for all aspects of the production, helping to choreograph the physical theatre, involving themselves in all backstage aspects, including costume, make-up, set, lighting and sound, and taking on a central role in promoting the play and selling tickets. That is a massive amount of work! Staff in the Performing Arts department also deserve a huge amount of credit.

It’s the end of their two years on the BTEC Performing Arts course here at the College and what a way to end. We will be sorry to lose them, but they are all moving onto new challenges and we wish them well, with a confidence that they will achieve success. All we ask is that they don’t forget us when they’re famous!

 

To see photos from this production, see the album on our Facebookpage.

Is university the way to go?

This posting was written by student Alysha Kotadia.

Going to university in September? Or considering it in the future? Why go to university instead of taking a school leaver programme? After the government’s recent announcement of the rise in tuition fees to £9,000, application figures up to the 15th January 2013 deadline, show an increase of 2.8% on last year for applicants from the UK for undergraduate courses. An overall increase of 3.5% was boosted by a recovery in overseas students.

There were differences in applications within the UK - there were increases of 7% in Northern Ireland, 3% in England, 2% in Scotland and a fall of 2% in Wales. However, despite the increase, many students still prefer to take the school leaver route as supposed to going for the more academic route. The number of UK 18 year olds applying to university has also risen slightly, 0.8% compared to 2011. Earlier this term I spoke to someY 13 students, some of whom are going to university and some who have decided to either take a gap year or the school leaver route, to find out what their views on it are.

Year 13 student Humma Mouzam thinks that students who want to achieve academically and be successful must go to university and that students shouldn’t worry about the rise in tuition fees because the debts after studying for 4 or 5 years about university will only be paid back if students are earning over £21,000.

On the other hand Niki Ford thinks university can be quite expensive, especially when you are very unsure about what it is exactly you want to study. She would rather go for an apprenticeship, because she feels as though there is more scope and it also offers the opportunity to excel into higher job roles. More importantly, Niki also emphasised her opinion on degrees, saying she feels as though employers look for initiative and experience rather than a degree itself. There’s always the option of going to university later once you know what exactly it is you wish to study further.

Academic Coach Sonia Millership also feels as though the increase in tuition fees has had an impact on the amount of students who decide to go on to university compared to those who might take a gap year. Sonia says there has been an increasing trend in the amount of students who have decided to take a gap year in 2013/14 because they want to fully decide if university really is what they want to do. Reasons for taking a gap year included wanting to earn money in order to finance themselves for university as well as using a gap year as an opportunity to reflect on whether university is really the right choice for them. However, some students take their gap year as an opportunity to do something useful such as fundraising for charity.

Sonia emphasised the point that students who go to university have firm reasons for doing so, such as the idea that the career they are interested in requires them to go on to university in order to gain specific qualifications. University is vital for students wanting to go into careers such as teaching and Medicine.

Meanwhile, in previous years, statistics show that the overall majority of students who leave college do go straight on to university. Although, a small minority do decide to go on to university after their gap year, because they have find the right career for them.